Los Angeles Lakers Should Not Pursue Channing Frye

By Brendan Patel

Jerome Miron – USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of cap space this summer in hopes of filling out their roster. They need to improve their depth in the frontcourt, and find players who can help space the floor on offense while providing adequate defense. Channing Frye has the rare ability as a big man to shoot from the outside with consistency, creating more room for his teammates to operate. However, the Lakers should not choose to pursue Frye as he is past his prime and will likely be looking for a larger contract than the organization should be willing to offer.

Frye’s ability to space the floor on offense would be extremely valuable on a team with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. But other than shooting, Frye would offer little else on that side of the court. He is not an efficient post-player, and relies on other players to create shots for him. He is not a dominant finisher, and might not fit with the new coach’s philosophy.

On defense, Frye is a decent shot blocker, but struggles to contain players one-on-one. He is unable to keep up with the majority of low-post scorers in the Western Conference, and would be another mismatch that the team would have to hide.

The Lakers need to add better defenders down low, and while Frye’s shooting would be welcomed, he offers little else to help improve the team. He will be looking for one last contract to boost his earnings, but the Lakers need to be careful with how they choose to spend. The organization should not look to pursue Frye in the offseason, and should focus on upgrading the team’s defense.